TENTATIVE SYLLABUS FOR ASTRONOMY 21: GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE
(Spring 2003, Tu & Th at 10:25-11:40 in Anderson 313)
(Prof. W. H. Waller, Robinson 355, <>)
WEEK 1 (Jan. 16)
Introductions, Spatial Scales in the Universe, Astrospeak
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Prologue, Endnotes 1, 2) (Elmegreen: Ch. 1)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 2.1, 2.3)
WEEK 2 (Jan. 21, 23 -- no class)
Galaxies and the Universe -- Types of Galaxies
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 1, Endnotes 3, 4, 5) (Elmegreen: Ch. 2)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.1) (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 3)
WEEK 3 (Jan. 28, 30)
Form and Function -- Galactic Structure
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 2, Endnotes 6--8) (Elmegreen: Ch. 5)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.2--4.4)
WEEK 4 (Feb. 4, 6)
Galactic Anatomy -- Stars, Gas, Dust, etc.
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 3, Endnotes 9--15) (Elmegreen: Ch. 3, 4, 6)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 3, 8)
WEEK 5 (Feb. 11, 13)
Missing Mass -- The Case for Dark Matter
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 4, Endnote 16) (Elmegreen: Ch. 7)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 8.2.4)
Creation and Evolution
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 5, Endnote 17) (Elmegreen: Ch. 12.8)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 10.7) (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 3)
WEEK 6 (Feb. 18, 20) Exam #1 occurs on Tuesday, February 18!
The Milky Way -- Our Home Galaxy
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 6, Endnotes 18--21) (Elmegreen: Ch. 3, 6, 8)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 1, 9, 10!!)
WEEK 7 (Feb. 25, 27)
Galaxies of the Local Group
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 7, 8, Endnote 22) (Elmegreen: Ch. 12.5)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.1.4)
WEEK 8 (March 4, 6)
The Nearest Giants
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 9, Endnote 23) (Elmegreen: Ch. 9)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.3, 4.4, 8.2)
Interacting and Starbursting Galaxies
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 10, Endnotes 24, 25) (Elmegreen: Ch. 10, 11)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.6)
WEEK 9 (March 11, 13)
The Most Powerful Galaxies -- ULIRGs, Seyferts, Quasars, and Blazars
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 11, Endnotes 26, 27) (Elmegreen: Ch. 11)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 4.6)
WEEK 10 SPRING RECESS: NO CLASSES!
WEEK 11 (March 25, 27)
Gauging the Galaxies -- The Cosmic Distance Scale
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 12) (Elmegreen: Ch. 12)
Supplemental: (Binney & Merrifield: Ch. 7)
Clusters and Superclusters, Filaments and Voids
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 13, Endnote 28) (Elmegreen: Ch. 12)
WEEK 12 (April 1, 3) Exam #2 occurs on Tuesday, April 1!
The Expanding Cosmos
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 14, Endnote 29)
Supplemental: (B & M: Ch. 7.4) (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 4, 5, 6)
WEEK 13 (April 8, 10)
Scenarios of Universal Origin
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 15)
Supplemental: (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 1, 11, 12)
The Cosmic Frontier
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Ch. 16)
Supplemental: (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 2, 10, 11, 13)
WEEK 14 (April 15, 17)
The Conscious Universe
Reading: (Waller & Hodge: Epilogue, Endnote 30)
Supplemental: (Once & Future Cosmos: Ch. 7, 9, 12)
Presentations: ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED!!
WEEK 15 (April 22 -- Last Class!)
Course Evaluations and Presentations: ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED!!
WEEK 16
READING PERIOD -- NO CLASSES!!
FIELD TRIP TO OBSERVATORY (TBA) -- Counts as Extra-Credit Homework
WEEK 17 Exam #3 on Friday, May 2, at 12--2 PM!